Installing solar power generation on the sheepfold

Can sheep graze on solar panels?

Blueberries aren’t the only crop researchers want to pair with solar panels. One farm up Maine’s coast lets sheep roam around panels installed there. And it’s not alone. Silicon Ranch, a company based in Nashville, Tenn., is installing solar panels at 17 farms with sheep. Their grazing keeps the grass low, which means no one has to mow.

Can a farm support solar panels?

Jordan Macknick, an environmental researcher at NREL, plants crops near solar panels at an experimental agrivoltaic farm in Colorado. Joe DelNero/NREL Not every farm can support panels, Macknick points out. It’s often not economically feasible. The trick, he says, is to identify those that can.

How do solar panels generate electricity?

Photovoltaic materials — such as solar panels — generate electric current from sunlight.) The idea is to make the best use of the land. Solar panels generate electric power without spewing the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that fossil fuels release as they’re burned.

Should agrivoltaic planners put solar over a farm?

Or farm first, and put solar over it?” If farming is the main priority, she says, then the solar panels may need to be spaced farther apart and possibly be raised higher. Such changes could potentially limit how much electricity those farm fields generate. And agrivoltaic planners may need to treat the soil, Macknick says.

Can agrivoltaic plants grow under solar panels?

Not all crops grow well under solar panels. The combination works very well for plants that like partial shade, such as leafy greens, root vegetables, and alfalfa. But other crops require full sun to flourish. A 2021 study found that yields of winter wheat, potatoes, and grass-clover can all fall when they’re grown with agrivoltaics.

How do solar panels work?

The solar panels are installed on pastures, and animals—usually sheep—graze around them. Sheep are short enough to fit under the panels easily and are comfortable in the shade they provide. The vegetation at the solar installation provides food for the animals, and its fences help protect them from predators.